Vortex generating elements may be employed with aircraft, ships or ground vehicles to reattach separated fluid flow across exterior surfaces. Reattaching fluid flow across exterior surfaces may improve control characteristics, decrease transonic drag and generally fine tune vehicle performance in a specific operating regime. Use of vortex generating units may be referred to as active flow control. Active flow control may advantageously deploy vortex generating elements in a fluid stream adjacent to a surface, such as in the boundary layer of the fluid flow, at a locus upstream of the area of detached fluid flow. Vortex generating elements may be deployed only during certain evolutions such as, by way of example and not by way of limitation, during a steep climb, landing, take-off or transonic operation of an aircraft. Vortex generating elements may be deployed intermittently at a frequency that advantageously affects downstream attached fluid flow.
There is a need for precise and rapid control of deployment of vortex generating elements to permit accurately effecting active flow control for a vehicle.